Online media services, such as online radio or music streaming services, appeal to end users due to their ease of access, portability across a wide variety of devices, capacity for media discovery, and the massive scale of media libraries which are available for user selection and consumption.
While the large volume of available media content in such services implies nearly endless choice, it also challenges editorial teams to make careful decisions regarding which media content to feature prominently on users' screens. Some devices may only allow for a small amount of screen real estate with which to capture the user's attention. In addition, users may be overwhelmed by the large amount of choices available to them. Rather than searching for media content aligned with their tastes, users may prefer to be provided with media stations and other curated or pre-selected content to suit their media preferences.
The online media stations that feature prominently in an online media service have a major impact on which media items are played, and ultimately, how positive a user's experience with the service is. No two users have identical content preferences, so an individualized solution that takes into account each user's preferences is ideal for optimally meeting the needs of all users.